module.md

Module Constructor

This is a proposal for the inclusion of an additional primordial variable to all ECMAScript contexts.

• There MUST be a primordial function Module(text, fileName, lineNo)
  • text MUST be parsed the body of a strict-mode Function
  • Module MAY throw a SyntaxError
  • fileName is an optional name for the text, for debuggers
  • lineNo defaults to 1, is coerced to Number internally, and represents the line number corresponding to the beginning of the text within the file indicated by fileName
  • Module MAY be called as a constructor or as a function. Its behavior must be identical in either case.
  • Module returns a Function (for illustration: module(scope))
    • scope is internally coerced to an Object
    • when module is called
      • the function described in text is run in a lexical scope that contains
        • the primordials (Non normatively, these include Array and Object but not legacy, embedding-specific values like window; a citation to a comprehensive list in the specification is needed here)
        • preceding the primordials, a variable corresponding to each owned property of scope
        • such that any free variable in text that is neither mentioned in the scope object or is a primordial throws a ReferenceError at the point it is used.
      • the module returns the value returned by the function
    • the Module instance MUST own a requirements property
      • requirements are an Array
      • requirements must contain the string corresponding to each occurrence of the free variable require that exists in text in which require is called as a function with the String as its argument
    • the Module instance MUST own the fileName property corresponding to the fileName given to the Module constructor.
    • the Module instance MUST own the lineNo property corresponding to the lineNo given to the Module constructor.

@erights, Is the intention that primordials be included on the scope object? This implies that anyone using a module would need to explicitly provide such an object. From the usability perspective, I think I prefer that properties owned by the global scope be implicitly communicated, and anything else fall through at run time with a ReferenceError.

The globals defined by ES5 -- such as Array, Object, etc -- could (and probably should) be provided by default, since (once frozen) they convey no authority. Other globals, such as window or document in a browser environment, should not. If they are not explicitly provided on the scope object, then they are denied.

I need a reference to the comprehensive list of ES primordials. Hopefully the revision above addresses the issue of containment.